Exhibit or file cabinet



(No M0001.) H W PRENTIS 2 sheets-sheen 1.A

LXHIBT 0R FILE CABINET.

No. 500,073. Patented 001;. s, 180s.

All: H.

Henning CU.-Frent1`s,

(No Model. 2 sheets-'sheet H. W. PRENTIS. EXHIBIT 0R PILE CABINET.

No. 506,073. Patented Oct. 3,' 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENNING w. PRENTIS, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

EXHIBIT OR FILEV CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,073, dated October 3, 1893. Application led July 7, 1892. Serial No. 439.207. (No model.)

companying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to an improved exhibit and file cabinet, and consists in the novel combination and construction of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspectiveview of my invention, with the front cover removed, and several of the detachable swinging-wings in position for exhibition. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan-view, taken on line of of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the cabinet, illustrating the arrangement of a hinged stop-bar, inade use of in carrying out the invention. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail-elevation, showing a portion of one wing, and illustrating the construction of the hinging-devices. Fig. 5 is a similar View, in perspective. Fig. 6 is a detail-view, in perspective, of al modified form of hingesupport. Fig.7 is a front elevation of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1, with the front cover in position. Fig. S is a sectional plan-view, of a modied construction. Fig. 9 is a detail view, in perspective, of a further mediiied hinge-support. Fig. 10 is a detail View, in perspective, with parts broken away, illust-rating a further modification 1 n the hingesupports for the detachable swinging-wings. Fig. 11 is a detail view of a further mod1 fica. tion.

My invention resides', especially, in a closed protecting-chamber in which are mounted iu superposed relation a series of detachable swinging-wings, adapted to be swung out of said closed protecting-chamber,during examination and exhibition, and swung back within the same and concealed from view, after such examination and exhibition. By such construction there may be led and exhibited, particularly in such places as large international-fairs, where ground, floor, and wallspace is very limited, charts, maps, pictures, drawings, school-work of all kinds from kindergarten to university, architects -plans, photographs, engravings, wall-papers, ri-bbons, laces, silk, dry-goods sam ples, light hardware-samples, curtain-goods upholstery, &c. It is very useful and convenient in permanently exhibiting scientific-collections in botany, biology, entoinology, &c.

l indicates the normally-closed chamber, having top, bottom, back, sides and a removable` front cover 2, which cover is secured in position by means of suitable fastenings, such as hooks 3 and lock 4, so as to be capable of prompt removal, to expose the detachable swinging-wings 5 for examination and exhibition, in the manner hereinafter described. 6 indicates upper and lower hingesupports, located within said chamber l diagonally thereof, preferably, and extending therein parallel to each other a suiiicient distance to support a proper number of the swinging-wings 5.

I will first describe my preferred construction, and afterward thegmodiiications, referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The supports 6 may be of wood or metal, and have their` ends beveled and provided with perforations 7 through which screws or nails may be passed, to secure them to the side and back, respectively, of the chamber l.. 'lhe hinge-supports 6 are provided with a series of vertical perforations,'or depressions, separated a suitable distance from each other to 'permit the properswinging-movement of the swinging-frames or wings, hereinafter mentioned. These perforations or apertures are indicated by thenumeralS, and form a portionnof the hinge by means of which the swinging-Wings Aaredetachaloly supported in position. 9 indicates a series of vertical-depressions formed ineacli of said hingesupports intermediate vof the perforations or depressions 8,Which vertical depressions are engaged by the inneredges of the wings when swung outward to the limit of their outwardmovement. Such vertical depressions permit such action to occur, as will be hereinafter referred to. The swinging-wings 5 are preferably constructed in the form of light, wooden, skeleton frames having top, bottom, side, and verticalV and horizontal cross-bars, to which the exhibits, before-mentioned, are secured by means of tacks, or other suitable fastening-devices. (See Fig. l.) In the present instance, I have shown a series of school- IOO drawings secured to the swinging-wings by means of mucilage. The wings 5 may be hinged to the supports 6 in any manner, but L-shaped screw-hooks 10 are preferably used for such purpose-two being located upon the inner edge of each wing, with their threaded ends screwed into such edge, and with their free ends extending downward in the same direction, and in alignment, and located within respective aligned perforations 8 in upper and lower hinge-supports 6. As shown, the inner edges of the wings 5 are located and held some distance from the hinge-sup-` ports, or rather from the apertures therein, which construction permits movement of saidwings freely in eitherdirection. By the above construction a series of exhibit and Iile wings are detachably swung within a protecting-cabinet, so as to normally rest therein swungout of` said cabinet without disturbing the remaining ones, and assume a position at right-angles tothe front ot the cabinet with both sides exposed to View. 2.) 11 indicates a space in the cabinet at the free edges otA the wings, in which the lingers of theobserver may have free play in select-` ingany one, or a series, of saidlwings `for examination. This space is a very important element of my invention. The wings are detachable from the hinge-supports, there being aspace 12 provided in the cabinet between the` upper edges of said wings and the top of said-cabinet, and into which the saidlupper edges may readily be moved, by sliding Vthe hooks 10 out of engagement with the apertures in the hinge-supports, and anyone or all of the series of wings may be removed from the cabinet, for mounting exhibits upon it,or forother purposes,and afterward quickly replaced. In some instances, where heavy hardware samples, or the like, are to be ex-` hibited, I provide separate rolling-supports for the free edges of the wings 5, by securing a suitable roller 13 to said edges in such position as to engage the inner-surface of the bot-` tom of the cabinet, or other supporting-surface, when said wings are in their normal position at the limit of their inward movement, or when they approach the same. (See Fig. l.) In other instances I locate upon the free edges,rorsome other portion,of the wings 5 asuitable knob or handle 14, for convenience in locating and identifying any one of the series, and for convenience in swinging it outward. For purposes of identification, I may number the series of wings serially, as shown in Fig. 1, or I may otherwise mark them, say alphabetically, for identication. Or, the knobs or handles 14 may be diierently-shaped on each wing, or otherwise marked, for identication. The chamber, or cabinet 1, is provided with accessible-handles 15, for

rectangular' skeleton-frame.

(See Figs. 1 ands cabinet, or attached thereto, and in such in? stance the series of wings would be mounted upon upper and lower hinge-supports 6 extending parallel with each other, and parallel with the front of the cabinet. Or,the construction shown inthis iigure may be used without any protecting-chamber, forming a very cheap construction: but open to the objection of not aiording protectionto the exhibits against dirt, dust, &c.

In Fig. 10 I have illustrated a furthermodification, in which the hinge-supports 6 are united by vertical bars 16, so as to form a This frame is hinged at its outer edge, by means of hinges 17, to the outer edgeof the chamberor cabinet 1, so as to extend therein diagonally to its front and back, and be swung bodily, with the hinged-wings which it carries, out of said chamber or cabinet, during-examinationor exhibition, and moved to normal position within said chamber or cabinet after'exami- Anation or exhibit of said wings` carried-'thereby. This latter construction has itsadvantages, among which maybe mentioned rapid access to the` inner'ones of; the series of'wings IIO For the purpose of locking the wings against accidental removal, and against-re moval by unauthorized persons, I provide a stop-bar 18, which is located in the space 12, directly over the upper edges of all ofthe series of swinging-wings 5, and has a vertical thickness greater than the length of the downwardly-extending arms of the `hooks 10 carried by any of the series of wings. This stop-bar, is pivotally-secured to the top of the cabinet, or to some adjacent portion of the same, so that its inner end may be swung outwardly, as shown in Fig. 10, out of the path ofall of said wings during the operation of detaching them, and be swung back to normal position in said path after one or more of the wings have been replaced. The normalposiion of said stop-bar is shownin dotted linesin Fig. 10. The perforations or depressions in the hinge-supports 6 are placed at determinate and relative distances apart, depending Vupon the thickness of the material of which the swinging-wings are composed, and depending upon the thickness of the samples or exhibits to be mounted on them. When the wings are swung outwardly, in the construction shown in Figs. l and 2, the corners of the inner-edges of same will swing into corresponding vertical depressions 9, located, as

before stated, intermediate of said perforations 8. This will permit the wings to swing a considerable distance farther than they could were not these vertical depressions so constructed, as without them the said corners of said wings would contact with the smooth Outer-face of the hinge-supports and be limited in movement thereby. 2O indicates a separating-projection, or knob, which is located upon one face of each of the wings 5, so as to project a distance therefrom and be contacted by the adjacent face of the nextadjacent wing of the series, and hold it a distance from the one carrying the projection, thereby preventing rubbing of drawings or other exhibited material.

In Fig. 11 I illustrate a further modification of the hinge-support 6, and the manner of hinging the wings thereto. In said figure the hinge-support is constructed devoid of apertures in which a portion of the hinge moves, and in lieu thereof vertical pins 21 are mounted in apertures in said support so that their upper ends will be free and project above the upper surface of the support. To engage these pins I locate plates22 having a projecting-end provided with a perforation, upon the wings 5 in the relative position occupied by the screw-hooks before-mentioned, and cause the perforations in said plates v22 to engage the said pins, as shown, and thereby form avery simple and durable hinge, capable of the functions of the said screw-hooks. Or, in still further cases, Imay substitute ordinary screw-eyes 23 for the plates 22, causing the eyes thereof to engage the pins 21 carried. by the hinge-support.

What'I claim is- 1. An exhibit cabinet having horizontallydisposed hinge supports located therein and provided with vertical depressions 9, and Vertically detachable frames or wings hinged to said supports intermediate said depressions, and an adjustable bar normally located between the upper edges of said frames and the top of the cabinet; substantially as set forth.

2. An exhibit cabinet having horizontallydisposed hinge supports located therein and provided with pins 21, swinging frames or wings provided with hinge-plates 22, the latter being secured at one end to said frames and having their free ends turned at right angles to said secured ends and provided with apertures adapted to receive said pins, and a bar pivoted at one end and adapted to be normally located between the upper edges of said frames and the top of the cabinet; substantially as set forth.

said supports at points intermediate said depressions; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an exhibit and le cabinet, the combination, with the cabinet proper, and a series of swinging wings, of a supporting device for said wings hinged at one side the cabinet and normally occupying an oblique position within the latter; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In'an exhibit cabinet, the combination, with hinge-supports provided with pins 21, and swinging frames or wings, or hinge-plates 22 twisted to bringits ends at right angles to each other, said ends being respectively provided with securing apertures and a bearing eye for receiving the pins 21; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENNING W. PRENTIS.

Witnesses: Y

HERBERT S. ROBINSON, ALFRED A. Eroxs. 

